A strike in early August was averted after the union representing 330,000 US-based UPS workers reached a tentative deal with the company.
The contract would increase pay for all workers, add more full time jobs and include workplace improvements like adding air conditioning to some delivery trucks.
Pay for part-time workers would be bumped to a minimum of $21 an hour.
According to Bozeman-area UPS driver Mackenzie Keltner, Bozeman has a market rate starting wage for part-time workers of $24 an hour, which with the deal would increase to $26.75.
Keltner has worked for UPS in the Bozeman area for close to 30 years. He says the most impactful part of the agreement is the pay increase for part time workers, some of whom load the trucks with packages before drivers start their delivery shift.
“Really the drivers get shouldered with a lot of the problems; it all falls back on us if the part timers aren’t taken care of. We’ve had drivers that have been delivering out past midnight,” he said.
Keltner says UPS investing in its employees will mean better service for local customers.
“Earlier deliveries I would say, your package is probably going to be less likely to end up on the wrong truck,” he said.
In a releaseUPS’ CEO, Carol Tomé, says “Together we reached a win-win-win agreement on the issues that are important to Teamsters leadership, our employees and to UPS and our customers.”
The UPS teamsters national committee unanimously endorsed the tentative agreement that lasts for 5 years. The 1,300 UPS workers who are part of the Teamsters in Montana and other members nationwide will vote on the agreement starting on Thursday.
